Weekly Book List

Here are the books that we read and enjoyed this past week.

Mommy: I am in the middle of a couple of books right now, which I haven't read enough to recommend. The only book I read much of this past week was The Book of Mormon, which I highly recommend:). My goal is to finish by May 19th, as I signed up to participate in the Hinckley Challenge back in February. If I read 9-10 pages a day, I'll make it.

Jared: Working on Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card.

Kimball: Great Illustrated Classics adaptation of Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. (Spoiler alert! This is a brief and choppy synopsis in Kimball's words.)"There's this knight named Ivanhoe and he's fighting and then he becomes really sick and then he gets better in the end. I've forgotten a little bit of the plot, but in the end, the Black Knight reveals his identity as King Richard. Ivanhoe is a good guy, and so is the Black Knight. Ivanhoe fights in the war and somehow he escapes from the fire when he's sick." (Note from Mom--sounds like we need to review and write a book report to make sure he read the entire book!)

Star Wars: Mission from Mount Yoda by Paul Davids and Hollace Davids. This is the non-school book that Kimball chose from the library last week. He is allowed to read it after his assigned independent reading time. Kimball recommends the book to all Star Wars fans.

Treasury of Illustrated Classics adaptation of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. This was a reread for Kimball. I have tried him out on the original and he's not quite ready for it. But he loves this version.

The Awesome Book of Sharks by Clizia Gussoni. This is a thick, informative book about sharks, with lots of pictures and diagrams. One fact that Kimball wanted to share from this book is that sharks can go for long periods of time without eating, while recycling oils found in their livers. The longest known fast was by a captive swell shark for more than two months.

Henry: Minnie and Moo and the Potato from Planet X by Denys Cazet. Henry is still working on reading this aloud to me. Minnie and Moo are silly and entertaining for young readers.

The Selfish Crocodile by Faustin Charles. Henry enjoyed reading this great story with a moral about the power of serving others and the change it can make in their lives.

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi. Henry enjoyed this book for obvious reasons. Who doesn't like a pirate who shares your name? This particular Henry Bunny is a bookworm. At first, the other pirates pooh-pooh his bookish ways, but Henry's book smarts turn out to be helpful when the pirates are marooned.

Ian: (Read Aloud Picture Books) The standout favorite that we read over and over was Lasso Lou and Cowboy McCoy by Barbara Larmon Failing. This book didn't teach a lesson and it wasn't full of brilliant literary moments. But Ian loved the cowboy theme and laughed at Cowboy McCoy's silly mistakes as he goes from city slicker to cow boy--all because the cowboy hat fit him best at the hat store.

Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman. This one was more enjoyable for me to read aloud. It tells of a boy and his grandfather (the boy is crippled, but you only see that in illustrations--it doesn't mention it in the text) who go to the shore to watch the seals. Ben (the boy) develops a bond with a seal and her pup and watches them and even body surfs with them year after year, observing the circle of life as the mother seal and grandfather pass on and the new generation rises. This is a sweet and sometimes poignant book. I loved that the main character has some disabilities, but that doesn't define who he is or what he strives to do.

A is for Artist: A Getty Museum Alphabet. This is a book that Ian discovered on his shelf. We bought it at the Getty years ago. Each letter is represented by a painting or detail from a painting. It is a great way to learn the alphabet and expose children to art--especially if you follow it up with a trip to the Getty, which is unforgettable anyway. (Warning: this book contains some art which shows nudity of the classical art variety, ie: Mythological Scene by Dosso Dossi, 1520s.)

Family Read Alouds: We are still plugging away at The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. Slow and steady. We are listening to The Series of Unfortunate Events; Book the Twelfth: The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket on CD.